Disaster - College of Veterinary Medicine - Texas A&M University

22 • CVM Today • Summer 2010
Waiting was unacceptable for the Texas A&M team. In response to Brazos
County’s designation as an evacuation hub for future hurricane threats. and eager
to find a solution where experts in animal welfare could respond in the event
of a disaster, talks were initiated between the Emergency Response staff of Brazos
County and faculty from the CVM.
“We wanted to learn more about the direction that emergency response efforts
were going to take in the future,” said Dr. Wesley Bissett, clinical professor in the
large animal clinical sciences department, “and if there was a role we could play.
As the only veterinary medical college in the State of Texas, we felt we had expertise
and facilities that could provide much needed support in future response
efforts.”
Soon after talks began with Brazos County, CVM officials began working on
developing an agreement with the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC),
the lead agency for animal health issues in times of emergencies. By partnering
with the TAHC, the CVM could support the TAHC mission by projecting the
CVM’s capabilities around the state.
“Once we had a rough agreement in place with TAHC,” added Bissett, “we went
to the Executive Committee of the CVM and requested that a formalized Emergency
Response Committee be established at the college level. This request was
approved, and we began to identify clinicians, scientists, administrative staff, and
technicians who would need to have a place on these response teams.”
To respond in an emergency, the teams would need special equipment and the
funds to not only purchase this equipment, but also to support the team. Funds
were requested and received from the Texas Division of Emergency Management,
and have immediately been used to build the necessary infrastructure for the
emergency response teams.
“Once we knew that we were going to be able to develop formalized teams, we
began to organize under the name TAMU VET, or Texas A&M University Veterinary
Emergency Team,” said Bissett. “We were able to purchase some special
tents, satellite equipment, portable stocks & stalls, kenneling materials, etc. so
that when we are out in the field, we are able to deploy as a fully self-sustaining
unit.”
While responding to a disaster, the teams are able to do environmental assessments,
and triage of injured animals. This process can include doing toxicity
sampling of water supplies to better know what is available to stranded livestock
and pets, evaluating food and nutrition needs, and developing ways to stabilize
the injured animals and get them to safety and shelter.
“We want to limit animal suffering,” said Bissett. “So, animal welfare will be
paramount to our thinking. Our college was founded on service to the state, so
being able to respond when animals in the state are in need is in our tradition of
service.”
Not only have these teams dedicated themselves to being available to provide
needed aid during a disaster, but they also are using these opportunities as a
teaching tool for future veterinarians. A new elective is now offered to third year
veterinary medical students that prepares them to play a role in emergency response
efforts regardless where they end up in practice. Three students also serve
on the TAMU VETs at any given time.
“There are many roles to fill in a time of disaster,” added Bissett. “Our students
are able to see how emergency response is something that brings in faculty from
the clinics in a multi-disciplinary effort. Not everyone is deployed. As a major
referral hospital, the CVM also needs faculty to remain in the hospital to take
care of emergent animal needs that arrive from shelters, from evacuees passing
through, and from the deployed teams. There’s a role for everyone, and it takes
everyone to be successful at what we do.”
The TAMU VETs had the opportunity to test their roles in a recent disaster
preparation exercise held in April with renowned disaster response team, Texas
Task Force-1 (TTF-1). The scenario was an explosion in an urban area, and TTF-1
Preparing to respond to disasters and emergencies requires special equipment as well
as mobile units in which to set up on-site operations. Photos to the left show
satellite equipment, a trailer, and tents that will be used to establish headquarters for
the TAMU VET in disaster areas, as well as members of the team practicing set up.
Photos by Larry Wadsworth.
Photos on the opposite page show Danene Burtel, Dr. Heather Nevill, and Dr. Erica
Miller, members of the Louisiana State Wildlife Response Team, cleansing a pelican of
oil at the Clean Gulf Associates Mobile Wildlife Rehabilitation Station on Ft. Jackson in
Plaquemines Parish, La., May 15, 2010. Photo credits: U.S. Navy/Justin Stumberg.